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Student Association
Administrative History

The current Student Association was formed in 1921. Interest in forming
a student government dates from 1914. At that time, President Milne rejected
a student petition to form a student government commenting, "There is no place
in this institution for the association and activities contemplated in this
petition".**1 President A.R. Brubacher(1915-1939) took a more favorable
attitude toward student government. In response to a 1915 student petition,
he instructed Professor Risley to form a committee to study the possibility
of creating a student government**2. There appears to have been an attempt
at forming a rudimentary student organization in January, 1916**3. As
a result of Risley's study, Myskania was formed in 1917. Myskania, referred
to in their 1917 constitution as the student council, was an honorary body consisting
entirely of seniors who were to represent "the opinion and to improve the department
of the student body."**4 Myskania, in turn, created the Student Association
in 1921. The general business of running student funded activities such
as the yearbook and the student newspaper appears to have been the concern of
the Student Assembly.**5 The new Student Association appears to have carried
on the responsibilities of the Student Assembly. (For a history of Myskania,
see the Myskania finding aid.)

The Student Association s' original purpose as stated in its 1921 constitution,
was "the management of all matters of student interest not academic in nature."**6
The Student Association controlled the legislative, financial and executive
powers of the government, while Myskania acted as a single judicial branch and
as guardian of school traditions. According to the 1921 constitution,
the executive duties of the S.A. fell on the executive board made up of the
president, the vice president, the secretary and the treasurer. The Executive
Board's duty was to carry out the provisions of the Assembly and act as a court
of appeals.**7 By 1928, a new constitution for the Student Association
changed the executive branch. Instead of the Executive Board, the executive
branch was run by Student Council, different from the original student council
(Myskania), which was made up of the president, the vice president, the secretary,
and the presidents of the four classes. The new Student Council had broader
duties than the Executive Board including: arranging the program for Student
Association meetings, providing for the publication of the student directory,
charter all boards, committees and associations by securing support from the
Student Association through the budget and executing all legislation passed
by the Student Association .**8

A new constitution ratified in 1965 made yet another change in the Student
Association. The Central Council was created and consisted of Student
Association members, student commission members, faculty members and members
of the pan-hellenic council. The duties of the new Central Council
included: enforcing laws of the Student Association , a responsibility for
student conduct in and around the university, student relations with the
university community and the broader community, control of student finances,
determining the student tax, and a responsibility for Student Association
election and tabulating the results of the elections. Myskania was
replaced as the judicial branch by the Supreme Court, but continued as
guardian of school traditions and recommended candidates for the Supreme
Court.**9 Myskania gradually lost its governmental power and was dissolved
in 1979.

Currently the Student Association consists of a three branch system of government:
executive, legislative and judicial. The Executive Branch is headed by
the President who acts as a spokesperson for the organization to inform the
public of Student Government activities. The Vice President is in charge
of the inner workings of the organization. Within the Executive Branch,
there are office directors who oversee committees of different concerns such
as: Affirmative Action, Controller (of finance), Educational Affairs, Media,
Multi-cultural Affairs, Student Voice, Programing and Wymyn's Issues.
These committees reflect the contemporary concerns of the students. The
Central Council acts as the Legislative Branch of the Student Association .
The Council is unicameral, with six committees that deal with all aspects of
student life. Representatives are taken from each Quad and off campus
to insure that all sectors of the University's population have a voice in student
government. Any student can be a member of a committee by simply attending
meetings. A Supreme Court rules on the legality of legislation and student
council actions. It is composed of seven members including a Chief Justice,
nominated by the President and confirmed by two thirds approval of the Central
Council.**11

Student Association
Scope and Content Note

The Student Association records, consisting of meeting minutes, subject files,
student publications, booklets, bills and committee files. In the 1920's
and 30's the Student Association was concerned with establishing and maintaining
school traditions, and such academic issues as the establishment of the honor
system. In the 1930's and 40's the Student Association held assemblies
on contemporary issues such as the presidential campaigns, the New Deal and
World War II. In 1949 the Student Association was involved in a project
called CARE, an organization to help the children of the war. By the end
of the 1960's, emphasis was put on student rights and equal opportunity.
Minorities began to organize them selves and form groups including the Women's
Liberation Front, Black Students Alliance and Lesbians for Freedom and the Student
Association gave formal recognition to these new organizations. At the
same time the Student Association supported new programs such as the Equal Opportunity
Program (EOP), developed in 1973. While continuing to sponsor equal opportunity
programs for all races and creeds, the Student Association has also, in more
recent years, turned its attention to the environment (NYPIRG was recognized
on campus in 1982), as well as supported such academic initiatives as the Frosh
Reading Program. Long term issues include opposition to ROTC, during the
1960's and 70's for its support for the United States Government's Vietnam War
policy, in the 1980's because ROTC discriminated against gay and lesbian candidates;
reproductive rights and the establishment of a Birth Control Center on campus.
The prominent development of the 1970's through 1990's was the Student Association
s new power in academic affairs--one prominent example of that was their accessing
the competence of teaching faculty. The results of their surveys were
distributed in the ACT and SCATE Booklets.

Student Association
Series Descriptions

The earliest minutes date from the formation of the Student Association in
1921. They document the Student Association 's interest in establishing
and maintaining school traditions (1920's and 30's), the Student Association
's concern with academic issues such as the establishment of the honor system.
In the 1930's and 40's Student Association assemblies dealt with contemporary
issues such as the presidential campaigns, the New Deal, and World War II.
In 1949 the Student Association was involved in a project called CARE, an organization
to help the children of the war. From the end of the 1960's the Student
Association has placed increasing emphasis on student rights and equal opportunity.
Minorities began to organize themselves and form groups including the Women's
Liberation Front, Black Students Alliance and Lesbians for Freedom and the Student
Association gave formal recognition to these new organizations. The trend
continues to this day. At the same time the Student Association supported
new programs such as the Equal Opportunity Program (EOP), developed in 1973.
While continuing to sponsor equal opportunity programs for all races and creeds,
the Student Association has also, in more recent years, turned its attention
to the environment (NYPIRG was recognized on campus in 1982. These documents
give an overview of the management of the organization, and document the Student
Association structural change.

The Central Council Bills are complete for the period 1965/66-1988/89.
This series contains bills passed by the Central Council which is the legislative
body of the student government. The bill relate to appropriations, budgets,
recognition of student organizations, resolutions relating to local, state,
national and international issues, student government reorganizations.
The bills dating from 1978-79 to 1988-89 are bound and indexed from 1978/79
through 1985/86.

This series contains constitutions, budgets, ACT (teaching assessment) proposals,
announcements and newsletters, Moving-up Day programs, and government reorganization
papers. In some cases there is extensive information on proposals such
as the ACT's and the Ebenezer Howard Project, 1970-71, an attempt to involve
students in the problems of urban poverty. The subjects range from local
to state wide concerns including other SUNY schools.

The Committee Files 1949-75 contain bills and minutes, constitutions, government
reorganization files, and ballots relating to the proposals and projects made
by different committees to the Central Council. The committees include
the Academic Affairs Commission, 1967-71, Athletic Advisory Board, 1970-71,
Big 4 Committee, 1949-53, Constitutional Revisions Committee, 1965, 1969, Election
Commission, 1973-75, and the Government Reorganization Committee, 1962-64.
Examples of some projects are: the Frosh Reading Program, Assembly Bill #4162
(1971-72) regarding the use of non-virgin paper on campus and the establishment
of a Birth Control Center for students.

The ACT and SCATE Booklets are an example of the growing influence of the Student
Association on the Administration. The Student Association gained the
permission of the Administration to publish surveys of courses and teachers
which are available to the students so that they could make more informed decisions
in choosing their courses. The collection is incomplete, and while the
faculty evaluations from the 1970's appear to be comprehensive, those from the
1980's and 1990's only publish ratings of a few courses where the faculty has
given permission to publish.